When did World War I end?

A:

Quick Answer

World War I ended on Nov. 11, 1918, when major hostilities between the Allied and Central Powers ceased. The combatants then began to negotiate peace, and on June 28, 1919 signed the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending the war.

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The Treaty of Versailles, which officially took force on Jan. 10, 1920, did not mark the official end of hostilities between all of the contending parties, however. For example, the British Parliament passed the Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act of 1918, which set an official timeline for the ending of war, beginning with Germany on Jan. 10, 1920 and ending with Turkey on Aug. 6, 1924. The American Senate did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles, meaning that it was officially involved in the war until July 2, 1921, when President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution. Russia, another Allied power, had concluded a separate peace with Germany in 1918.